Samui Island Culture

Koh Samui Culture | The rich culture of Koh Samui

There is no clear cut definition for the culture of a place. However it can be described as the set of rules that affect the way of life in a city or town. Since culture is something that is both consistent and ever changing, you find that the relaxed lifestyle of Koh Samui reflects its unique culture. The culture of Koh Samui can be attributed to numerous factors.

Monarchy affects the culture of Samui

The culture of Koh Samui is highly influenced by the monarchy reigning here. this monarchy is associated with the Buddhist religion and it this monarchy that is responsible for the creation of the unique script of Thai characters. The monarchy in Samui has always been progressive and has played an important part in encouraging education in Samui. And it is because of this both homes and businesses in Koh Samui give equal respect to the King and Queen.

Buddhism is the main culture of Samui

The culture of the people of Samui is greatly influenced by Buddhism. The people of Koh Samui are basically spiritual in nature and have many beliefs within themselves. It is these beliefs that have brought the many tones to the culture of Samui. Respecting monks and elders is all part of daily life, and the culture of Samui. So much do the people of Samui believe in daily worship that both homes and businesses have separate areas for daily worship.

A family is of great importance to the Thai people. It is quite normal to find extended families with married couples living with their parents, and not branching out. The elders of the family are always respected and though Tha´s may leave Koh Samui for some time, they always return to their families. In fact, so strong is the concept of families in Koh Samui that even friends and neighbors are considered to be part of family. All this has an impact in the culture of Samui.

Most of the population in Samui is Thai

It is this rich culture of Samui that is displayed to the tourists of Koh Samui. On a visit to Koh Samui, you get to view exhibitions of Thai dance, music and singing. This is because the people of Samui are more than happy to entertain and perform for visitors. One of the festivals you are sure to enjoy when in Koh Samui is the Thai New Year, Songkran. This is considered to be the Water Holiday, and is the day everyone, no matter who he or she is, gets wet.

The population of Koh Samui is about 15,000 where most of them are Thai. However only a minority of them were actually born in Koh Samui as the others had migrated here from Northern Thailand. there are also many Chinese Thai people here running resorts and shops, who come from the Bangkok area. The culture of Koh Samui is also affected by the growing number of foreign visitors to the island.